READING: Leviticus 8-10, Matthew 25:31-46
“Fire came from the Lord . . .”
Leviticus 9:24
Aaron, the brother of Moses, began fulfilling his duties as priest by offering sacrifices to God, blessing the people, and entering the tent of meeting with Moses. When he and Moses came out of the tent, the glory of the Lord appeared, and “fire came from the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar” (Lev. 9:24). God’s sending the fire was a sign that He had accepted the sacrifices. He was pleased with the offering, and He let it be known in such a way that the people could only shout and fall on their faces. In this case, the fire was a sign of affirmation and approval.
Not so in the very next chapter of Leviticus. As the new priesthood began, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu offered “unauthorized fire before the Lord” (Lev 10:1). We don’t know for certain what their sin was, though it clearly didn’t follow God’s prescribed plan. It’s also possible that alcohol was a contributing factor (see Lev. 10:8-9). Whatever the sin of “unauthorized fire” was, it was so serious that the same fire that came from the Lord in Leviticus 9 now killed Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10. God demanded that His priests be faithful to all His Word, and He wanted His people to know in a dramatic way just how serious He was. To tolerate sin in the first days of the priesthood would be to invite sin in the later days. Future generations would need to know that God would not tolerate their sin. Aaron, who lost two sons in this episode, could say nothing.
In both the positive example of Aaron’s accepted sacrifices and the negative example of Nadab and Abihu’s offering, fire came from the Lord. The origin was the same, but the purpose for the flames was different. God consumed an offering in Leviticus 9 because He was pleased; He later judged the priests through death in Leviticus 10 because He was displeased. It’s difficult to find any clearer back-to-back contrast of obedience and disobedience. Aaron’s obedience brought God’s affirmation, but his sons’ disobedience brought severe judgment.
Apparently, obedience to God really does matter. He truly is a “consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29).
- Stand in awe of the Creator who made you, loves you, died for you, and will judge you.
- Pray that your church’s leaders would never ignore God’s standards for living and leading.
PRAYER: “God, I want to be fully faithful to You. Help me to lead others to do the same.”
TOMORROW'S READING: Leviticus 11-12, Matthew 26:1-25